Distillation.



A. WOOLNER, JR.

DISTlLLATlON.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 27. 1914.

nae/2271' E STATES AE QFFIQE ADOLPH WOOLNER, JR., 0F PEORIA, ILLINOIS.

DISTILLATION.

' Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented. Sept. 21, 1915.

Original application filed November 3, 1910, Serial No. 590,571. Divided and this application fileu J'uneiw; 1914. Serial No. 847,573.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ADOLPH VVooLNnR, Jr., a citizen of the United States, residing at Peoria, in the county of Peoria and State .of Illinois, have invented certain new and tilling, its leading and principal objects be ing the distillation of spirits in such a manner that a spirit of improved flavor is economically obtained and the residue or slop of distillation is concentrated to a higher degree than has heretofore been customary or usual,

In order to obtain a full and complete understanding of the various advantages and benefits of this invention and its place in the industry of distillation it is necessary to briefly review the development of this art. Formerly the distillation of alcoholic liquors was carried on in so-called pot stills an apparatus in which the fermented wort or mash,the so-called beer, was heated by the direct action of the fire. On account of the comparatively long heating and boiling of the beerby such apparatus and process highly flavored .spirits were produced containing compounds agreeable both to taste and smell, and'bringing, about the distillation of higher alcohols and fatty acids essential or necessary to the production of fine flavor. Obviously this method of distillation was both uneconomical and quite unhandy and was consequently gradually supplanted or displaced by steam distillation, the steam being delivered directly into the beer or fermented mash. At first this process of distillation was carried out by successive charges placed in the pot stills and later on the continuous beer still was developed, the same being a more economical construction and method. The earlier still operated by charges produced a better flavored product because the beer or mash was boiled during a longer time, but more steam was used, however, than. was employed .in the continuously operating still and obviously both produced a slop diluted by the condensed water derived from the steam. I 1

My present inventionprovides a continunew and there are various constructions of stills provided with a system of steam-heating pipes for the purpose of boiling the beer with the indirect steam, and also providing for mechanical agitation. It has been found, however, that when this indirect method or apparatus is used the heating surface becomes coated rather quickly with e a thick crust of organic matter, which adheres to the heating surface and prevents the economical transmission of heat therethrough, consequently making this method of indirect heating ineffective and unsatisfactory. My present invention avoids this difliculty by maintaining the slop continuously in rapid circulation by running the Slop in a thin film over the heated surface, preferably with the aid of a circulating pump. Such a clean heating surface by the forced circulation of the slop as obtained by this invention is not only important because of the more eflicient heat transmission, but it also avoids the detrimental influence which incrustation on the steam heated surface has on the quality of the distillate, because an overheated burnt crust causes a burnt taste and smell in such distillate.-

In order that those skilled in the art may have a thorough understanding of this improved process and novel apparatus, I have illustrated in the accompanying drawing an embodiment-of the invention capable of carrying out the improved method of distilling. In this drawing the view illustrates the parts of the apparatus partially in elevation and partially in section.

A suitable pump 11.is connected by a pipe 12 to a beer heater 13, the latter in turn being connected to a reservoir 14, of substantial capacity, by a pipe 15, the lower end of such reservoir being in communication with a still or distilling column 16, of any suitable and desirable type, by a pipe 17, supplied with a controlling valve 18. The top end of this still 16 is in communication with the vapor compartment or chamber 19 of the 23 by a pipe 24, such condenser having the condensing water inlet and outlet pipes 25 and 26 respectively; such condenser being also supplied with a discharge pipe 27 for the high wines or alcoholic liquors.

In the lower portion of the still 16 there is a steam chamber 28 below the still and in communication therewith, I employ a -with the chamber 36. A heating coil 38 in the reservoiror receptacle 14, is connected to this exhaust chamber 36 by a pipe 39, the coil 38 in turn having a discharge 40. The upper portion of the slop boiler or concentrator has a distribution chamber 41, the lower wall of which is disposed above the steam pipes 33, 37, and is composed of a perforated partition or distributing plate 14:2. The slop free, or substantially free from alcohol, is delivered from the still 16 into a cup or pan 43 from which it over-flows onto the perforated or apertured plate 42.

The lower portion of the concentrator is connected by a pipe 44 to a pump 45, which in turn is connected to the distributing chamber 41 by another pipe 46. Near one end of this concentrator is a discharge pipe 47 in communication with the lnterior of this slop boiler, such pipe having a. controlling valve 48, the opening and closing of which is governed by the actuation of a rotated "by meansof interme'shing gears 52,

one of which is on a drive shaft supplied with pulleys 54, this shaft being rotated in the usual manner by a belt not shown. This reservoir is also equipped with a thermometer 55, and a standing-glass 56.

The carrying out of my improved process or method by this-form and type of apparatus takes place in substantially the following manner: The pump 11 continually feeds the beer or fermented wort or mash, to the beer heater 13 and through the passages 21 thereof to the pipe 15, to the reservoir 14, and from the latter through the pipe 17 to still 16. The heated steam or vapor from the steam boiled slop in the concentrator acts upon the heated beer or fermented mash in the still and drives off the volatile constituents or alcoholic vapor which arises,

through the pipe 30 to the vapor compartment 19 of the-beer heater 13, acting in such compartment to heat the beer pumped through the passages 21. A portion of such vapors, that is the heavier ones, are condensed and flow back through the pipe 22 to the still, while the lighter vapors or vola-v tile constituents pass through the pipe 24 and are liquefied in the condenser 23, be-

ing discharged through the pipe 27, being understood that condensing water 1s continually forced through the condenser 23 by means of the pipes 25' and 26. After the fermented wort or beer has passed through the heater 13 and been raised to a temperature approximating the boiling point it is retained for some time'in the reservoir 14,

the dimensions of the reservoir being such as to hold a quantity of beer equivalent to three or four times the hourly capacity of the still, so that the beer is therein subjected to a prolonged heating at a temperature approximating the boiling point by coil 38 and. agitated by the mechanical stirrer 30. Such prolonged heating as has been described above develops the formation of compounds particularly pleasing to the taste and smell, and brings about the subsequent distillation of certain higher alcohols and fatty essential to the production of a fine flavor, and this feature of the process forms the acids principal subject matter of the parent apv plication, of which this is a division.

The slop when it reaches the concentrator or boiler 29, after passing through the perforated distributing plate 42, comes incontact with the steam-heating pipes 37 passing over the same in the form of a thin film, the distributing plate in conjunction with the action of the circulating'pump 45, causing a constant-heavy torrential rain of slop on the pipes, the washing effect of which is to prevent the formation of any incrustation on such pipes thereby maintaining an eflicient transmission of heat from the pipes to the slop and preventing the development of an objectionable taste or smell in the distillate, due to an over-heated or burnt crust.

The discharge of the concentrated slop 18*:{3

controlled by the float 49, the movement of which is necessarilygoverned by the amount of slop accumulated iii the bottom of the concentrator, but under ordinary working conditionsthe discharge of slop would be substantially continuous and uniform. The chamber 28 is connected through the pipe 57 with a pressure gage 58, which shows the pressure prevailing in the column, and a slop tester 59 which shows whether the vapor coming from the slop boiler 28 is free of alcohol. This pressure gage and slop tester are of known construction, and do not form part of my present invention. It should be understood therefore that in this process and in the operation of this apparatus the fermented wort or beer is heated by the action of the hot volatile constituents of the mash delivered from the still, and that the beer is subsequently subjected to an'extended or prolonged heating and agitation in the reservoir 14, in time passing to the still and having its volatile constituents or alcoholic vapors driven off by the action of the steam or vapor from the boiling slop in the concentrator, its volatile constituents in turn heating another portion of the continuously pumped or conveyed beer. The action of the steam heated concentrator is continuous and it operates in such a manner that the heated surfaces are maintained substantially clean and free from incrustation,

the condensed steam of such concentrator in turn being used to heat the beer or fermented mash in the reservoir. Clearly then this process is carried out and this apparatus is operated at a maximum of economy with a resulting finely flavored alcoholic or spirituous liquor and the slop concentrated to a higher degree than has heretofore been accomplished. v

The invention is not limited to this particular apparatus because the benefits and advantages hereinabove mentioned may be secured by employing other devices of somewhat similar construction and various modifications in the process which may be used without departure from the heart or essence of the invention. While I have herein shown the use of the condensed steam from the slop boiler or concentrator for heating the beer or fermented mash in the reservoir 14, I wish to have it understood that the hot spent slop may, if desired, be used for the same purpose instead of. the condensed steam and in place of the same any other suitable heating medium might be employed.

I claim:

1. The method of distilling, which con-- sists in distilling the volatile constituents from the fermented mash, and. concentrating the resulting slop by passing the same in a thin film over a heated surface, the

, ed period rapidly in a thin film over a heated surface, the vapor resulting from such concentration being substantially free from objectionable qualities which would tend to injure the developed flavor and being employed to effect said distillation, substantially as described.

3. The method of distilling, which consists in distilling the volatile constituents from the mash, and concentrating the resulting slop by applying the same in the form of a heavy rain to a heated surface, the vaporresulting from such concentration being substantially free from objectionable qualities which would tend to injure the developed flavor and being employed to effect said distillation, substantially as described.

4. The method of distilling, which consists in distilling the volatile constituents from the mash, and concentrating the resulting slop by projecting the same forcibly against a heated surface, the vapor resulting from such concentration'being substantially free from objectionable qualities which would tend to injure the developed flavor and being employed to effect said distillation, substantially as described. 5. The method of distilling, which consists in continuously distilling the volatile constituents from the mash, continuously con-- centrating the resulting slop by applying the same with force against a heated surface, and continuously withdrawing a porthe mash, concentrating the resulting slop,

and mechanicallyv circulating the slop during its concentration, the vapor resulting from such concentration being substantially "free from objectionable qualities which would tend to injure the developed flavor and being employed to effect said distillation, substantially as described.

ADOLPI-I WOOLNER, JR.

Witnesses:

WILLIAM BOURKE, R. G. RYAN. 

